Roses and Demons
by IronGirl337
Summary: There is a time and place for emotions, and yet another for them to be abused. Loki and this mystery mortal woman, both unsure of their true identities, must learn what it is that dictates whether a person good or evil. Loki/OC (Post Thor/Into the Avengers - eventually prob gonna be Thor 2)
1. Prologue: Dancing in Germany

**Hello again! I published a chapter yesterday, and after thinking long and hard about it, my OC just wasn't giving off the vibe that I wanted. I think this better shows her colors, and I think Loki sounds more like himself in this one (let me know if I'm wrong, I'll gladly fix it). Not sure how long this will be, but I do have big plans for this story! I just hope that you all like it.**

**Thanks a bunch! Read/Review please! Love you all! ~Toni**

* * *

Laura Williams stalked through the crowd of tuxedos and gowns, eying each passing face in turn. She was looking for him. He was her only source to find the villain known as Swordsman. Apparently he was harassing an "expert" archer called Hawkeye. Laura sighed, she really hated inter-agency jobs. Especially when that other agency was S.H.I.E.L.D. They had been mercilessly trying to recruit her for years, despite her constant protests. She wanted nothing to do with a bunch of talented freaks, or the director's favorite pet: Natasha Romanova. What a bitch. As much as she enjoyed working for a government agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be any better.

Laura floated across the room to her partner, her startling red dress drawing stares as it caressed her slender form, her long, slender leg making an occasional appearance from the long slit in the side. "John Jones" was standing at the edge of the room with a flute of champagne in his hand. Laura sauntered over to him, her gaze immediately returning to the chattering crowd of the elite surrounding the ugly Egyptian piece of stonework.

"Are you enjoying yourself yet?" John said nonchalantly. Laura snorted.

"Who, me? I get to stare the '_Great Stone Ox'_, an ancient sacrificial altar. What greater fun could a girl wish for." Her tone made John smile.

Laura had never enjoyed being sent on missions to Germany, yet here she was in Stuttgart, Germany at an art museum's summer gala having the time of her life. She sipped idly from a flute of her own, trying to control her seething hatred for this place, wishing for something, _anything_, exciting to happen.

Laura let her gaze wander across the room, searching for her prey. Her gaze froze on an elderly man looking quite nervous at the moment. There he was, the old bastard was mulling around the base of the stairs by himself. Laura tapped her partner's arm and began slinking through the crowd.

A tall suited figure descending the stairs behind her man. Laura paid him no attention. He wasn't any threat to her, and as it was, she was locked on her target. She needed this man to talk, and the sooner, the better. Once she completed her mission, the CIA was going to approve her request for retirement. Laura wanted nothing more than to be done with the US government and its endless list of secrets, but she was one of their best and most loyal agents. The CIA definitely didn't want to lose her after so many years of service, but she had perhaps threatened to rain destruction upon the US government if they refused. They agreed to approve if she completed this mission. They knew what she was capable of. But she would forever be labeled a RED. Retired, Extremely Dangerous. Laura didn't care, she would finally be allowed to live on her own again, under a new name of her choosing with a personality that she chose. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, was it beautiful.

Little did Laura know that that light was still a long ways off.

Laura heard the screams before she saw what was going on. The suited figure had attacked one of the security at the gala, knocking him clean off his feet with his long, golden spear. The crowd became a mob of sheep, frightened and panicked as the wolf descended among them. The suited figure grabbed Laura's source and dragged him across the room to the altar in the center of the room. Laura tried to force her way through the crowd, but the frantic bodies only pushed her further back. She could only catch glimpses between the heads of the people, staring at the atrocity before them. Laura heard the whizzing of a device, a man's pained scream, and the cries of the ladies in the room, running from the scene.

Laura didn't know where her partner was, and at this point, she didn't care.

That figure just murdered her only way out of the service, and she wasn't going to let him get away easily.

He would pay.

Laura fought her way through the rapidly thinning crowd to find the figure slowly descend from the altar, a wicked grin on his face. He was enjoying the chaos. Laura wasted no time in running straight at the man, pulling his raven head into a headlock with one arm and trapped his speared arm with the other.

The woman brought her red lips close to his ear, innocently whispering, "Where do you think you're going? The fun has just begun."

The grabbed her arm, wrenching it free of his neck. He spun around to face his assailant, twisting her arm painfully. The man leaned over to snarl in her face, "You **_dare_** touch me mortal! You have no idea what _fun_ will be in store for you when I have finished with you!"

Her large forest-green betrayed no inkling of pain. She looked like a child who had been caught causing mischief. A cruel smile spread across the face of the man looming over her. "Pray, do tell girl, why do you smile so?" His voice filled with mock sympathy.

The woman replied in a small voice, "I should be asking you that." With that, the woman seized the man's collar and smashed her forehead into his. Stunned, he loosened his grip on her arm long enough for her to wrench her arm free. She braced an arm across his broad chest and pushed him down onto the altar behind him. She leaned over him and growled in his ear, "What a _shame_ it is that you have underestimated my skills." He scowled.

"No," he began, "it is a _shame_ for _you_ that you won't live after what you have done." The man easily threw her off of him, sending her sprawling on the floor. She quickly popped up from her position, fists at the ready. She sat down into her fighting stance, easily balancing in her red stilettos.

"Darling, you're gonna have to try harder than that to keep me down," she cooly replied.

The man smiled wickedly, allowing his arrogance to dull his senses. She was a mortal! She was no match for him! He spread his arms out to either side and walked towards her. "Why, what on Midgard would you suggest I d-"

His taunt was cut off by a swift fist making contact with his angular jawline. The man took a quick step back, stunned by her speed and her strength. He gingerly touched the contact point, scowling.

"_Awww..._ Poor baby. Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" she cooed, a sly smile on her lips. She dropped her arms slightly, exposing her head.

He stared at her aghast. How **dare** she! "So that is how it shall be." His face was full of malice. She would die, but at present he needed to accomplish his mission.

The man thrust his spear at her exposed head, a battle cry escaping his marble lips.

The women threw her head back in a flash of golden curls. Her spine arched backwards, arms thrown back like a bird in flight, fingertips stretching towards the ground. Her palms willingly greeted the cool ground, her arms supporting her weight as she drew her legs in. Like a bucking horse, her arms bent and her long legs flew out into the stomach of her opponent, knocking the air from his lungs as she reversed her descent. Her gleaming tresses streamed out behind her as she leapt back onto her feet and back into her stance.

"Yeah, this is how it shall be."

The man drew himself up, gripping his spear with white knuckles. "**You will die for your transgressions!**"

She smiled behind her fists. "So be it."

The man lunged at her, spear in hand, blue energy spouting from the tip of the spear. The woman dropped her shoulder and rolled away from the blast, popping up long enough to land a punch near his kidney. He roared in pain, spinning around fast enough to knock her off her feet. Her small body rolled across the floor as he squared his stance. She stared up into his ice-blue eyes, the same blue of the energy that he was throwing from his spear.

She kicked off her shoes, and stood to face him. He snarled, "You are a wily mortal. It truly saddens me to end your pitiful existence." The man aimed the spear at her, the blue rock embedded in it glowing ominously.

The woman wasted no time.

She ran head on at the man, ducking under the spear's blast and plowing into his midsection. A perfect tackle.

They landed on the ground with an _umph!_ from the both of them. The spear flew from the man's hands and landed a short ways away. The woman scrambled to gain the upper hand again. But she paused. _His eyes were green. _Not just a plain green, a sparkling wondrous heart-stopping emerald green. She had never seen such a green before, and it stayed her hand. Straddling him, one hand pressed on his chest, the other paused in mid-air, she stared into their depths. The woman saw anguish grief despair hatred fear hopelessness desperation misery pain horror and so much more. Her heart tore in two. She saw herself in those orbs.

The man saw her lower her arm. She wasn't going to pummel him as she well should. He glanced up into her forest green eyes, watery and full of pity rather than anger. _The mortal pitied him! She has no right to!_ The man reached out and grabbed the spear, the icy blue flooding back into his eyes. Her bewitching eyes now full of fear, as they well should.

He flung her off of him, her small frame hitting the tall marble pillar. He rushed over to her, holding her up by the neck. "You **dare** pity me mortal!" He flung her across the room into another pillar. With his unearthly speed, he leapt across the room, holding her up by the neck again. "I am a **god**! You are **nothing**." He squeezed her throat, listening to the panicked gurgle rising in her pretty throat. "I have no need for such petty emotions that you humans insist on clutching to like children in the dark!" He flung her across the room again.

She landed in a heap of blond hair and red silk against the opposite wall. Stunned, she lay face down for a moment, listening to his parting words:

"I shall let you live, foolish woman. But hear this: step in my path again, and I shall crush you like an ant under a boot. Farewell. You have been a worthy foe."

She slowly looked up, her head pounding from the impact. From between her mussed tresses, she saw his dapper suit turn into a leather and gold suit of armor. On his head sat an impressive golden helmet with horns reaching back from his temples. He did not glance back as he stalked out the door. She slowly lowered her head back down to the cool marble floor.

Many minutes had passed before she could muster the strength to pull herself up from the ground. She gathered her shoes from where she had left them and stumbled barefoot to the door.

Leaning against the gilded doorframe, she stared out over the plaza. That beautiful man was fighting with Captain America, while the people fled past other versions of him. The woman pressed a finger to her temple, wincing slightly. She was done with freaks. But she couldn't shake the picture of his eyes from her mind. Her heart had not raced as it was currently doing for many, many years. She glanced up as a S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter hovered over the plaza. The loudspeaker on the plane boomed.

"Drop the weapon, Loki."

He smirked and shot a blaze of energy at the plane, nearly missing the wings.

The woman pressed her fingertips to her forehead. This was all too much. She could barely believe that this man was called by the same name as the mythological Norse God of Mischief, and seemed to fit the bill as well. He was clearly one of the freaks that S.H.I.E.L.D. dealt with, but his power seemed more energy based. Magic perhaps, but that stuff didn't exist. Or did it?

The woman inwardly groaned. Natasha Romanova, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. idiots were all after the Asgardian Loki Odinson, who just happened to show up in Germany while she was there after the man who not only was the curator of the place where the largest amount of iridium was kept, but also her only way to find the villain Swordsman, enemy of Hawkeye, Romanova's partner who was nowhere to be found at the moment and...

She bowed her head again, groaning again.

This was insane! Let alone near impossible. She had seen many unbelievable things in her lifetime, but this took the cake. She was simply done with all of this agent nonsense. She didn't care what it took, she was done. No more missions or jobs or anything. Done.

The woman glanced back up at the scene in front of her, feeling another pang in her heart. She watched thied strange man, no, _god_, raise his hands in surrender, his armor fading to a simple mage's clothing. She stared as he was escorted away, a defeated look in his emerald eyes.

She still couldn't explain what she had felt in that gala; still, she knew that she couldn't help but want to stare into those amazing eyes just once more.

She had to find him again and settle these feeling once and for all. She couldn't let such emotions mess with her head. After all, he had admitted that they were petty human things.

She had lived too long to let them interfere.

Not anymore.

Not again.

* * *

_Ethelinda slowly walked through the fire and smoke of the enemy that had rained down in the forests of Germania. Stepping lightly over the charred bodies of her fallen comrades, she slowly made her way to the battlefront. The roar of war sang sweetly in her ears. The cries of the men sent tremors down her spine. The woman held her sword tighter, her heart racing. A grin played upon her lips, her blonde locks swishing lightly across her back. The Romans had invaded her people's lands, and they would pay. Oh, how they would pay. Many had already fallen, but the price would be worth the spoils. Her brothers had told her time and time again to stay away from battle, that it was a man's duty, but Ethelinda loved the rush of the fight all too much. She could never stay away._

_Flaming arrows soared over her head, the roar grew louder. Her leather shoes crunched lightly on the ashen ground. The warrior squared her fur-covered shoulders and stepped through the smoke, emerging like a hellish nightmare into the thick of the battle. The thud of metal on wood. The swish of spears soaring overhead. The chilling crunch of bone. The screams of the dying. A cruel smile crept across her lips. None dared to confront her, that would be barbaric. She _was _a lady after all._

_Continuing further into the fray, eyes locked on the general, fighting in gold-gilded armor, standing star against the bronze of his men, the serpent stalked her prey. Her senses were heightened. She could smell the fear, no, she could _taste_ it. Fools, all of them. _

_At last, a sword rang through the air above her. The shimmer of heat of fresh blood radiated from the blade. Ethelinda nimbly spun to face the Roman, swords locked above their heads. The soldier gasped at her unearthly speed. The snake simple grinned. She expertly wrenched the weapon from his hands, his gaping mouth only forcing her heartbeat higher and higher. Ethelinda swiftly thrust her sword through his head, relishing in her kill. She pulled the sword free. She gazed down at the lovely red color that it was painted. _Beautiful.

_Now the others noticed her. Now she was no longer a lady, but a threat. Roman footmen rushed at her, swords held high, screaming a battlecry. __She merely laughed at their bravado. Their courage._

_It would not save them._


	2. Run

She had gotten the call from the agency not an hour after her encounter with the Asgardian. Her superior quickly debriefed her on the events of that night: A deranged, exiled prince from a realm on the other side of space (a.k.a. Asgard) had traveled to Earth, stolen the Tesseract (an unlimited source of power being researched by S.H.I.E.L.D.), captured some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents and scientists, and wreaked some general havoc. That night his captured agents had stolen some iridium from her source's laboratory, which was probably being used to house the Tesseract, and after his capture, Loki's brother Thor had shown up and wrecked some more general havoc. Loki was currently being held aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hovering HQ somewhere above France by now. And would she please reconsider her retirement for the greater good of the people of the world.

Her reply: Fuck. No.

She was absolutely done at that point. No more of these secret missions. No more of these freaks. No more fighting and killing. She had seen way too much of _that_ for her liking.

All she wanted to do was move to New York, and begin a quiet life free of the terror that had dictated the rest of her life. Her new identity was left in her hotel room along with all other important documents. She opened the leather suitcase to find a thick manilla folder inside. She pulled out a packet that she would have to memorize to begin her new life smoothly. She read off her basic information:

_Name: Michelle Sarah Lewis_

_Age: 27_

_Hair: Blonde_

_Eyes: Green_

_Height: 5' 6"_

_Weight: 130lbs_

_Distinguishable Facial Features: None_

_Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York_

_Previous Location: Leon, Iowa_

And so on and so forth. Michelle closed the briefcase, locking it up before gathering her other things from her room, placing everything in a black suitcase. She checked out of her hotel and walked into a nearby alley. She threw the black suitcase into a dumpster. Michelle struck a match and threw it into the dumpster, watching the flames lick at Laura's suitcase. Michelle turned her back on that life, walking into her new one as she made her way to the airport to fly to the Big Apple.

As excited as she was, Michelle still felt a pit in her stomach. She could not get Loki's eyes out of her mind. She idly wondered what was happening to him right then...

Michelle shook her head. No. She was never going to see him again. End of story.

She pulled her blue coat closer to her as she hailed a taxi.

Never again...

* * *

Once Michelle Lewis arrived in New York, she took the green line of the subway to a station in Central Park West. She walked a block to her new apartment building. Seven floors up, with a direct view of Central Park and the new Stark Tower a ways away, Michelle fell in love with her new home. It was a small, homey one bed, one bath apartment, designed with a contemporary aspect. She knew that if she could call this lovely place home for a while, she would be happy.

As happy as one could be with a completely ordinary life with ordinary dreams with an ordinary background.

Regardless, as of that moment, Michelle could go for a good cup of coffee. No matter how often she traveled, jetlag always seemed to get the best of her.

Michelle walked out of her building, happy as a clam in its shell. She smiled brightly at her fellow New Yorkers, her facade clearly showing that she was thrilled to be alive. She walked towards the Stark Tower, remembering a fantastic little coffee shop tucked away somewhere around there. Michelle glanced up at the impressive building, remembering how Mr. Tony Stark had boasted on TV that it was going to be a beacon of clean energy. Michelle admired the sleek structure when she stopped dead in her tracks.

No. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

At the top of the tower, she had seen a glint of gold.

Not just gold, a golden horned helmet.

The helmet of the man she fought with back in Germany.

The helmet of the legendary god Loki.

The helmet of the man with the emerald eyes.

Michelle wanted to ignore it and continue on to find that coffee shop, but the woman had to know if that was the man. Her curiosity would kill her if she didn't find a way up there to be sure. She just had to know if those eyes did the same thing to her heart as they had in Germany. She just had to.

The woman quickly strode over to the Tower, not knowing what she was getting herself into.

She knew one thing though, knowing Tony Stark, he would have put his top suite on a different elevator circuit to prevent the paparazzi from sneaking up on him. So she would either have to hack his elevator or convince a janitor to let her venture up.

It seemed that the latter would have to do.

She strode up to a man wearing a navy blue jumpsuit. In her sweet little voice, Michelle timidly asked, "Um, excuse me? Hi, um, I was just wondering, well..." the janitor looked at the beautiful woman skeptically "if maybe you could tell me how I might get to the top floor?" She smiled nervously.

The janitor sighed, "Sorry sweetheart, only Mister Stark is allowed up there. And he's away, so not today."

Michelle stuck out her bottom lip, obviously disappointed. "Oh, I was just hoping since, well, I just moved to New York, that I might be able to see Central Park from above. I guessed that this might have the best place to see it from... but I guess not. Sorry to waste your time." She hung her head and turned away.

"Uh, wait a sec," the janitor stammered. "Ya just moved to the city? Where from?"

Michelle grinned sheepishly, "I know it's cliche and all, small-town farm girl moving to the big city and all..."

The janitor grinned, "Hey, I'm from way out west in Pennsylvania, there ain't nobody out there!"

Michelle's high ringing laugh brought a smile to the janitor's face. God was she pretty.

She continued, "I'm from Iowa, so I'm a long ways from home, and I, uh, just figured some trees and stuff would make me feel a little less homesick..." She looked up at him through her lashes. She felt his eyes run over her orange and yellow flowered sundress, her long tan legs ending in a pair of strappy yellow heels.

"Well, isn't that a shame. Wouldn't want a pretty little thing like you feelin' sad..." Michelle watched the gears turn in his head. "Mister Stark is out on some business or somethin'... maybe I can sneak you up for a little bit..."

Michelle clapped her hands together. "Oh could you really! That would be fantastic!"

"I can't leave my post or nothin', but yeah, I could do that for ya." He grinned, "You'll just have to give me your digits first."

Michelle giggled, "To a handsome guy like you, I think I could do that." _Success._

She wrote down her new home phone number and followed the janitor to the elevator. She waved at him as the doors closed, keeping the illusion alive.

Once the doors closed, the woman sighed and rolled her eyes. What a droll. She glanced upwards, as the elevator crept upwards, her heart thundering in her chest. She hadn't felt this giddy in eons. But those eyes...

The elevator began to slow, but her heart raced faster and faster. She thought that she might have a heart attack. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she could go back down. Continue her boring life. Forget about this freak. Nothing more. Go back to being Michelle. Farm girl from Iowa. Yeah. That could work. Find a guy. Live out her days. She didn't deserve to look into those eyes again. He was a god. And a criminal! Why would she want to s-

_Ding!_

* * *

Loki spun around as he heard the ding from the strange metal transporter against the far wall. Who in Hel's name was intruding upon him! He was in the final stages of his ingenious plan, and he did not want to be interrupted as the scientist Erik Selvig on the roof finished up the portal with the tesseract.

Loki raised his spear, ready to strike down whatever came out of that door. His heart skipped a beat as a golden-haired girl tumbled out, barely staying on her feet. She paused for a moment, still bent over like a bird in flight, then slowly lifted her head and stared straight at Loki. He froze, just as she did. He watched her lips move: "It's you."

She quickly regained her composure and straightened herself up, regaining her regal air as Loki did the same. She began to walk towards the window, beginning a wide circle around him. Loki mirrored her actions, eyeing the mortal woman suspiciously. She spoke first.

"I hear you're a war criminal now." Her voice was strong and fierce, but light, conversational, as well. She didn't look at him when she said this.

"It appears so," he spat.

"Criminals usually hide from the authorities."

"Is that not what I am doing?" Loki grinned.

She glanced at him, still circling. "Well you're not doing a very good job of it."

Loki smiled at her bluntness. "What ever do you mean, dear girl."

She looked away again. "I spotted your helmet a block away. It's quite impressive."

Flattery too, Loki had to admit, this girl was good. "Why thank you."

"But of course."

Loki paused, choosing his words carefully. "I hope that you do realize, that your flattery will not achieve anything."

"Oh? And what, dear pray, would that mean?"

Loki eyed her carefully. Oh, she was good, very good. But he was better. "I do not know, you are the one who sought me out."

She stopped and turned to him, a sassy tone entered her voice. "Sought you out?"

"Yes, sought me out," Loki cooly replied, stopping as well. "If I am not mistaken, you somehow manipulated something, or someone, to sneak up to this private floor to see me, for as you mentioned before, you saw my helmet a block away." He turned to face her. "Or, in other words, you sought me out." He smiled, his emerald eyes sparkling as she narrowed hers.

The woman before the god shifted her weight onto one foot, both hands on her hips as she studied him. Her face revealed nothing as she replied, "But that still would not explain my motive for seeking you out, as you so insist I did."

"And what, dear pray, would your motives be?" he mocked. Loki was enjoying himself as he leaned forward slightly, mirroring her posture.

She smirked, "I do not know, _you_ are the one whom _I_ sought out."

Loki lowered his gaze to the floor, opening his mouth before closing it again. He smiled and shook his head. Two Silvertongues twisting the other's words. Loki was enjoying this more than he would admit.

She tilted her head as she leaned forward to catch his eye. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I tie the tongue of the Silvertongue of legend? Master of all words and god of all lies?" A coy smile played on her lips. She balanced on her toes, awaiting his response.

Loki opened his mouth again, formulating a reply. "Well, my dear girl," he took a slow step towards her, "it has been a very long time since I have encountered another Silvertongue to match my own."

"Or surpass it," she bluntly replied, her eyes locked on his.

"I would not say that," he took another slow step. "But you do have much talent in that mouth of yours. Perhaps that is why you ventured here?"

She suggestively smiled at him, looking up through her lashes. "Perhaps." She paused as he took another agonizingly slow step towards her. "Yes, I do believe that was one of the reasons I ventured here."

He smiled, raising an eyebrow, as he took another step. "Oh? And what would the other be?"

She ducked her head, smiling nervously. "You would laugh at me if I told you."

"Would my word not to, encourage you to divulge such a secret?" Another step.

"Perhaps."

He grinned, "Then I give you my word, that whatever lewd thing you might divulge as your motive for seeking me out, that I shall not utter a single note of humor no matter how humorous I may find it." Step.

She let out a nervous laugh, then paused. He waited on bated breath for her answer. Loki had realized ages ago, that regardless of her awesome actions in Germany, she was not in fact a threat to him. This, beautiful woman in front of him, disregarding the fact that she was a mere mortal, had captivated him with her incredible strength and intelligence. She seemed to be more than just a mortal. And it fascinated him. As she slowly brought her head up to look at him, Loki took another step, now but a foot from her small, powerful frame.

She took a deep breath, and murmured the words so that only he could hear: "I just wanted to look into your eyes but _one more time_."

Loki felt his heart stop, as he gazed into the forest green eyes of this woman, full of wonder and want.

He felt his arm involuntarily stretch across the small space between them and brush her hair from her face. His voice came out in a whisper.

"You know of my name, but I still do not know yours. Do tell me, what is your name?"

Her eyes looked sad before she tore her eyes from his, gently wrapping her delicate fingers around his large hand, pulling it from her face. "I have no name."

He pulled his hand from her fingers, moving them to gently tilt her head up so that he could look in her eyes. "A name, any name. I care not." Loki paused, his tongue darting out to quickly moisten his lips. "I know that it is difficult to confine such beauty to but one name," he smiled as her eyes twinkled, her weight shifting towards him, "but I would care to have a name to dream about tonight in my prison cell."

She smiled at his teasing, feeling the warmth in her heart grow with every word he murmured. She leaned in a little closer, placing her hands on his abdomen, closing her eyes to think. _A name, any name._ One of his hands remained on her jawline, keeping her head tilted up as the other slid around her, sitting in the small of her back, drawing her slowly closer.

She reached her head up, lips parting slightly, as his strong arms drew her in. Loki still did not understand how this mortal had bewitched him, but she had been running through his mind since the night before. How she, nothing than a mortal had survived blow after blow from him, especially when he was holding the Spear. She should have been killed, or immobilized at the least. Yet here she was, standing perfectly fine before him, tying his tongue in knots as few have done before. Loki looked down at her golden head, mere inches from his now. "A name, any name," he murmured, his eyes flickering shut as her fingers found their way into the hair at the nape of his neck. He could feel her soft breath on his lips now, but she paused, and breathed a name. She pronounced it in such a beautiful, lilting way that it made his breath catch and his heart skip. This name, he knew, was perfect to capture her essence in a single word, to take everything that she appeared to him and put it to a word. It was entirely, completely, wholly _her_.

"_Rosabella_."

With that word, Loki pulled Rosabella into an earth-shattering embrace. She reveled in his cool lips pressing onto her warm ones, his hand pressing insistently on the small of her back, pulling her closer. Rosabella wove her hand through his raven hair, as she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Loki gladly obliged, caressing her Silvertongue with his, his hand gripping her golden locks, eliciting a soft moan from her. He continued to pull her into a bone-crushing embrace, she never really being close enough for his wanting. She pulled back slightly for a breath of air, opening her eyes to meet his and smiling triumphantly.

"Perhaps my motive for seeking you out was to bring the God of Mischief to his knees," she innocently murmured.

Loki chuckled, "You, _Rosabella_, are absolutely infuriating." He pressed another passionate kiss to her lips, loving the way her name felt on his tongue. When he pulled away, Loki did not look Rosabella in the eye, remembering his mission right then. A sadness crept over him as he realized that it was very likely that he might never see her again.

Rosabella saw the change in Loki's demeanor, her fingers resting on his jawline. "What is it?"

Loki sighed. "I must complete my purpose for being here on Midgard prior to any other desires." She looked at him insistently. He sighed again, and continued. "As much as I would love for you to stay here, it is too dangerous. You must leave this island immediately, and tell no one the reason why." He looked at her. "I do not wish for you to be caught in the middle of this, it is not safe."

Rosabella's eyebrows came together, as she stared at him in conclusion. "But then... when will I see you again? _How _will I see you again?"

Loki closed his eyes, wishing he could say for certain the future, but alas, he was not granted that gift. "I know not." He felt her shoulders slump in his arms. His eyes flashed open, the emerald orbs boring into the forest ones. "But I swear this to you, regardless of today's outcome, regardless of where I shall be, I will do everything in my power to return to you should it bring you no harm."

Rosabella drew a breath to reply, but Loki slipped out of her arms and made for the balcony. She gasped for air like a fish, missing his warmth instantly. Rosabella spun to look at him.

"Loki!" she cried. Loki halted, feeling his heart leap at her vocalization of his name, sounding more beautiful coming from her than he could have ever imagined it sounding. He turned his head slightly, knowing that if he turned all the way around, he would never be able to leave her. "Loki," she murmured, knowing her words before they were spoken. "Regardless of what you are about to do, or where you shall go, know this: I shall await your return every day at high noon at the fountain with the winged Valkyrie, located in the center of the green space outside that window. That way, no matter what shall happen, you will know where to find me."

Loki could hear the promise in her words, regretting his foolish endangering of this woman that he may never look upon again. Loki turned back to face Rosabella, still standing where he left her, looking so strong yet so vulnerable. He would find a way to keep her safe, no matter the cost upon him. Her eyes glistened over with unshed tears, he would miss her.

"Run, my Rosa, run."

With a final look at him, she turned and strode to the metal transporter and pushed the button. Once the doors opened, she paused, silent tears running down her face, and looked back at him, one more time.

"Until next time, my love."

Then, she was gone.

* * *

"Look at this! Look around you!" Thor thundered. "You think this madness will end with your rule!"

Loki glanced at the chaos unfolding in the labyrinth below. "It's too late," he breathed. "It's too late to stop it." Thor looked incredulously at him.

"No," Thor rumbled. "We can. Together."

Loki stared at his once-brother, now his enemy. Thor was appealing to the old-Loki. Jealous and afraid of his older brother. But no more. Loki's face contorted into a snarl as he stabbed a small blade into Thor's stomach.

"Sentiment," he spat. He reveled in his brother doubled over in pain before him.

Thor lunged, knocking Loki into the glass barrier behind him. Before Loki could regain his footing, Thor picked him up and raised the mischief-maker above his golden head before slamming Loki down before him. Loki, knowing his brother's blind rage, rolled off the tower, landing on a Chitauri Flier speeding away from the tower.

Loki looked down over the chaos as two more Fliers fell into position behind him. His gaze fell on a golden-haired girl in a short orange and yellow gown, fighting in hand-to-hand combat for her life. He felt a pang in his heart, considering the fact that he no longer had the Spear with him. She truly was magnificent, and he wished that she was by his side, but going to her now would only endanger her more. Both forces in this fight would be against her, neither knowing what side she was truly on. Loki turned his Flier away, silently wishing her the luck he knew she would not need.

She was too skilled to need luck.

She was a force to be reckoned with.

Loki realized that all too well.

* * *

_"Hey!"_ _Roaslba giggled as she felt Alfonso pinch her waist from behind. __"Don't do that! Your father would be furious if I dropped another plate this month!"_

_Alfonso wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed the plate she was washing down. __Roaslba leaned her head back into his lover's chest. Alfonso kissed the top of her chestnut-brown covered head._  


___"Do you know why I love you so?" he murmured._

___"No, do tell me," she smiled._

___Alfonso spun her around to face him. "If it is not because of your beautiful mind or of your forked tongue," he paused, watching her giggle, "then it must be because of your gorgeous green eyes." She beamed at him. "Greener than the greenest grape-leaf gleaming in the sun. Oh, how I wish to look upon nothing else but the green in your eyes."_

_____Roaslba playfully pushed his shoulder. "You will be once we go to America."_

_____Alfonso touched his forehead to hers. "Yes, and then we shall be married."_

_____"And free of your father's disapproval."_

_____Alfonso smiled. His father hated the way he gazed at this servant-girl, but her words had a grip of iron around his heart. She had wooed him and he had fallen for her. _

_____"Oh my Rosa, how I love you so." Alfonso pressed a kiss to her lips._

_____The door clattered open behind them, the two lovers spinning to see who had interrupted them._

_____Alfonso's father stared at the two in disbelief. _

_____Alfonso broke away from __Roaslba, "Father..."_

_______His father's gaze fell on the servant-girl behind him. Grabbing the pistol at his hip, he advanced on the girl. "You swine! You witch! How dare you bewitch my son!"_

_______Alfonso rushed towards his father. "Father please!" he cried._

_______"You whore! You will pay for your witchcraft!"_

_______"Father please!"_

_______He spun on his son, shoving the boy back, and spat "I shall deal with you after." The man trained his pistol on the girl staring at him in disbelief. He cocked the gun. She watched as ages seemed to pass as he pulled the trigger. But not before Alfonso rushed in and pushed his lover away. BANG. The two collapsed on the floor, __Roaslba coated in her lover's blood. She rushed over to him, holding his head between her two delicate hands.  
_

_________"Alfonso!" she shrieked. _

_________"Run, Rosa. Run." he sputtered._

_________She stumbled back, hundreds of emotions bubbling to the surface as she saw the light fade from his eyes. She looked up at her master, as he stared in shock at his son._

___________Roaslba scrambled to her feet and out the back door of the villa into the grape fields. Tears fell from her eyes as she ran. _

___________Not again._

___________Never again._

* * *

**And I will end it there! I hope you all liked it! Thank you Czarcasm3.14 for your review! There are some more surprises in store for these two... **

**I'm working on a better cover for the story, so sit tight! Because I go back to school tomorrow! Yay! (muffled sobbing)**

**So I shall see all you lovely readers around at some point.**

**Toodles! ~Toni**


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